UA captain flushed his ammunition down the toilet in flight
 

you couldn't make up this story:

A United Boeing 767-400, registration N69059 performing flight UA-104 (dep Jun 23rd) from Houston,TX (USA) to Munich (Germany), was enroute when the captain disposed of ammunition (10 bullets) in his possession into the toilet.

A source had told The Aviation Herald that the aircraft was enroute, when the captain discovered that he was still carrying ammunition consisting of 10 bullets in his luggage, the ammunition not being permitted to be taken into Germany. The captain therefore decided to get rid of the ammunition and disposed of the ammunication into a waste bin. "Unfortunately" a passenger lost her ring in flight, the flight attendants assisted in the search for the lost ring and also checked the waste bins. A flight attendant thus discovered the bullets, dutifully brought and reported the bullets to the captain, who now decided to ultimately get rid of the bullets and dumped them down the toilet. Later the flight attendant inquired again about the bullets, the captain realized that she would file a report, explained the situation to her and informed ground. The aircraft was taken to a remote parking position after landing, airport fire fighters used protective suits while emptying and filtering the waste tanks, recovered 6 bullets in that search, Germany's Luftfahrtbundesamt (LBA) grounded the aircraft. A second search discovered the remaining 4 bullets, too, and the aircraft was able to depart for its return flight with a delay of 4 hours.

The Aviation Herald tried to verify the occurrence over the next almost two weeks, stating in all inquiries to Authorities in Germany and the USA that the story is so extremely unbelievable that it must be true, but remained unsuccessful. Almost about to give up almost two weeks later and stop monitoring the occurrence The Aviation Herald succeeded in getting a first official confirmation from Munich Airport, which confirmed the aircraft had been directed to a remote parking position and departed with a delay, Munich Airport however did not want to comment further on the event.

Dr. Simone Hilgers, Press Spokeswoman of Upper Bavaria's Government, told the Aviation Herald that they are aware of the occurrence.

He could simply contact customs on arrival, I'm sure they would have disposed of the ammo safely, and most probably without making a fuzz. They have bigger fish to fry than someone who accidentally brings a few bullets and declares his honest mistake. I assume he's painfully aware of this now.

must have been fun for the firefighters to search for the bullets :\

http://avherald.com/h?article=488ffe1c

Curious...

Do any of the US airlines that allow pilots to carry guns have some sort of safety box or safe in the cockpit where they could store their ammo and guns?

Yep as per deptrai's comment. Radio ahead, admit the error/oversight and it would've kept his snout out of the sensationalist media.

To put it in a (public!) waste bin first and then trying to flush it is no concept to dispose of stuff like this. Just tell it to the cops/customs and they won't rip off your head.

He had a reason to have ammo before. So it should be no big deal to anybody.

This idiot is regarded as competent to carry a loaded firearm in a cockpit ?

bcgallacher +1. Guns don't belong on aeroplanes. :ugh:

I'll alert the military then.

Not so I'm afraid. Journos monitor most aviation frequencies along with a million spotters, the conversation would have been recorded and handed to the media even before the aircraft landed.

Don't agree with you Mr bcgallacher, 9/11 may never have happened had those pilots had handguns available to them.

I didn't see anything indicating he was an FFDO.

IF he was, I sincerely hope he WAS, and no longer IS!

I don't see where it was mentioned that he was in possession of a firearm,only mentions ammunition.

No, but that doesn't stop other idiots jumping on their favourite bandwagon-again.:ugh:

Er, what?
 

First the pilot flushes them down the biff, and it takes two searches of the tank to find them.

Later in the story, a FA finds them in a bin after a passenger loses a ring.

Too, too many conflicts here. Hopefully the real tale will come out.

Until it does, well, you know the drill.

Divide into two groups, one yelling for decapitation or castration of the pilot, the other yelling 'wait for the report.'

Both groups need to give it their all for this to work.

Be at it boys, make us proud!

He'd be in more trouble carrying a banana into Australia and would probably get a bigger fine I suspect.

Too true, Schnowzer!!

Surely, though, shouldnt the question here be "how did he get on board, through home base security, with a stash of ammunition?" (Or did I miss the explanation of this one?). The rest is entirely consistent with a bloke realising that he has screwed up and trying to sort it without getting into trouble. Good plan, fell short in its execution through sheer bad luck! Along the lines of the hapless character in 'The worst week of my life'.....

Brings new meaning to the phrase "sweating bullets!"

Talk about bad luck!
 

There are a lot of places our otherwise innocent guy could have stashed that ammo and nobody would have known. That goes to a point about things like this - it is often not the original sin that nails a person making an honest mistake. It is getting caught hiding the transgression that gets people into the most trouble.

hmmm....no FORDEC in that decision..just leave them stashed in the flight deck, and advise the outgoing crew...

Much adoo
 

About nothing. We all realize bullets are no risk except if burned perhaps. Capt. Should have reported and explained. Is there too little common sense flexibility in Germany. Love "he didn't slip it in his copilot's pocket comment!

"How did they get on board.." Perhaps you're not aware that the U.S. has a federal flight deck officer programme (FFDO) where selected and trained volunteer pilots are issued firearms in order to deter and defend against hijack attempts. Whatever your views onthe rights and wrongs, had an FFDO been on board on 9/11, that date would now be less memorable. Also, there have been numerous screw-ups by skymarshals and armed police; in one case a bar of plastic explosive being left on board. For some reason these don't attract the same publicity and crticism as a mistake by a pilot.

He must have been a FFDO otherwise, how would he have gotten the ammunition past security personal at his home base. I guess security could have missed it.

BDD